1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an arrangement for installing a lid for an air bag in an automotive vehicle. Particularly, the present invention relates to a air bag arrangement in which a lid portion which covers the air bag may open instantly in a vehicle collision condition with substantially no time lag between inflation of the air bag and opening of the lid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to protect passengers at a time of vehicle collision, sudden stopping, etc., air bags, mounted in an instrument panel of a vehicle are well known. For example, Japanese Utility Model First Publication 63-100351 discloses such a conventional air bag mounting arrangement including a lid mounted in the instrument panel for covering the air bag. When a vehicle emergency condition, such as a collision, for example, occurs, the air bag inflates, applying pushing pressure against a trigger mechanism to cause the lid portion to open, thus allowing the air bag to inflate fully.
According to such air bag arrangements, a hinge portion of a lid must open widely in response to pushing force generated by the inflation of the air bag. Further a trigger mechanism must be provided for releasing the lid portion.
However, in such conventional air bag arrangements a substantial amount of empty space is present between an air bag module and a lid. Thus, when the air bag inflates, a substantial time lag is incurred between the beginning of air bag inflation and the opening of the lid. Further, since the air bag does not activate the trigger mechanism until substantial inflation has occurred, an inflation force of pressurized gas for inflating the air bag must be kept substantially high. Also, such conventional trigger and hinge mechanisms are costly and complex.
Thus is has been required to provide an air bag and lid arrangement in which a time lag between inflation of an air bag and opening of a lid is minimized and which is relatively simple and inexpensively produced.